When it comes to keeping your home sparkling clean, harsh chemical-laden cleaning products have long been the mainstream go-to. However, these toxic formulas aren’t just hard on the environment, they’re also exposing you and your family to noxious fumes and residues. With increased awareness surrounding healthy, sustainable living, more eco-conscious homeowners are seeking natural, green alternatives to get the job done safely.
The good news is that making your own effective yet gentle cleaning products from household ingredients is incredibly easy and affordable. By whipping up simple formulas with items you likely already have in your pantry, you can ditch commercial cleaners packed with things like ammonia, bleach, formaldehyde and synthetic fragrances. Protect both your home’s surfaces and the planet by embracing the power of natural, plant-based cleansers. Let this guide by Yurovskiy Kirill inspire you to start producing your own sustainable cleaning arsenal.
The MVPs of Green Cleaning
Vinegar: When it comes to natural cleaning powerhouses, distilled white vinegar tops the list. As an acid, vinegar helps dissolve soap scum, hard water deposits, grease and grime. Its antibacterial properties also make it a safe, non-toxic disinfectant. While it has a potent smell, the vinegar odor dissipates almost immediately once dry.
Baking Soda: This affordable pantry staple is a naturally abrasive yet gentle cleaning workhorse. Baking soda helps scrub away built-up dirt and gunk without scratching surfaces. It also acts as a deodorizer and helps neutralize odors as well as grease stains. Look for the eco-friendly brand options.
Castile Soap: Derived from plant oils like olive, coconut and hemp, these concentrated vegetable-based liquid soaps make excellent multi-purpose cleaners. Look for unscented pure castile soap in most grocery stores, or purchase plastic-free bars. Castile soap lifts away sticky, caked-on grease and grime while remaining gentle.
Essential Oils: Not only do they lend a pleasant, natural scent, but many essential oils like tea tree, eucalyptus, lemongrass and citrus also have antibacterial, antiviral and antimicrobial properties that boost cleaning power.
Salt: The mineral compound in plain table salt is an effective gentle abrasive cleaner, great for gently scrubbing sinks, oven racks and other heavily soiled surfaces.
These basic pantry staples combined with a few other household items like lemon juice, olive oil and washing soda provide all the ingredients you need for safe, effective green cleaning solutions.
Green Cleaning Formulas for the Whole Home
All-Purpose Cleaner:
Mix 1 cup white vinegar, 2 tsps baking soda, 10 drops lemon or orange essential oil and ¼ cup castile soap into a spray bottle. Top with hot water and shake to blend. The vinegar and baking soda provide all-natural cleaning muscle, while citrus oils add anti-microbial action and fresh aroma.
Window/Glass Cleaner:
Make your windows and mirrors streak-free by combining 1 cup white vinegar, ½ cup water and ½tsp dish soap or castile soap in a spray bottle. For extra shine, add 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil.
Tub/Tile Cleaner:
For scrubbing down grimy bathroom surfaces, pour 1/2 cup baking soda into a bowl and add enough castile soap to form a spreadable paste. Add 10 drops of antibacterial tea tree or eucalyptus essential oil. Use a bathroom brush or scouring pad to scrub this paste into tile, tubs, and grout, then rinse. This formula gently yet effectively deodorizes and cuts through built-up soap scum.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner:
Keep toilet bowls stain and odor-free by pouring 1 cup white vinegar into the bowl then sprinkling ¼ cup baking soda over the vinegar. Let fizz and sit for 10-15 minutes, scrubbing with a toilet brush to scour away any debris or stains. The fizzing action and vinegar help sanitize and remove hard water rings.
Wood Floor Cleaner:
Mix 1 cup white vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil and 5-7 drops of lemon essential oil. Spritz or sponge mop the solution directly onto floors, wiping away any excess with a microfiber mop or cloth. Vinegar and lemon naturally dissolve dirt and grime while olive oil polishes wood.
Heavy Duty Degreaser:
For tough cooktop build-up or other hardened grease stains, combine ½ cup baking soda, ¼ cup castile soap and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add a few tbsps of water to form a spreadable paste and apply it to the surface. Let sit 5-10 mins before scrubbing the area clean using a scouring pad. The baking soda and lemon activate and help emulsify baked-on stains.
Furniture Polish:
Showcase your wood furniture’s natural glow with a chemical-free polish made from ¼ cup olive or coconut oil, plus ¼ cup white vinegar or lemon juice. Use a soft cloth to polish the mixture into surfaces until they shine.
Linen & Laundry Freshener:
To infuse your towels, clothes and linens with a lovely natural scent, fill a spray bottle with 2 cups of distilled water, ½ cup of white vinegar or vodka, and 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oils like lemon, lavender or eucalyptus. Vodka helps bind the scents so they last longer on fabrics. Spritz on linens and clothes before washing.
Simply replace water with vinegar in the rinse cycle dispenser to naturally soften and remove odors from clothing, towels and other laundry. No need for store-bought fabric softeners loaded with toxic artificial fragrances.
Staying on Top of Refillable Cleaning Supplies
With all these eco-friendly cleaning formulas in your sustainable supply stash, the possibilities are endless. But it’s crucial to have a proper storage and refilling system in place. Purchase a set of quality reusable glass amber or cobalt spray bottles and clearly label them. You can find bulk sizes of ingredients like castile soap, washing soda or baking soda in most grocery stores.
Since many of these formulations call for baking soda, distilled vinegar, and essential oils, keep those ingredients on hand at all times for easy refilling. Consider sourcing large jugs of vinegar from stores selling bulk foods and spices. Look for plastic-free boxed or paper-bagged baking soda to minimize your plastic consumption. Essential oils sold in small glass bottles are a smart choice as just a few drops go a long way.
Some well-labeled mason jars or other glass jars dedicated to holding premixed powdered cleansers like the tub scrub or degreaser are also handy. Having separate bottles and jars ready to go expedites the process of measuring out and mixing up fresh batches of your signature cleaning blends as needed. Keep them all consolidated in a portable caddy for countertop scrubbing convenience.
With a few pennies worth of basic pantry ingredients, water and some elbow grease, you can enjoy the satisfaction of a spotlessly clean, refreshingly scented home—sans the harsh toxins. Ditch commercial cleaners for good and make your own simple yet effective green formulas at a fraction of the cost. Not only will you save money and reduce plastic waste long-term, but you’ll also gain peace of mind from knowing exactly what’s being used to clean your home’s surfaces. So start stirring up your sustainable cleaning arsenal today!